Arrows earn historic first win in Texas

Recap

It wasn’t pretty on a cold, damp night in Texas, but as the saying goes a win’s a win and the Toronto Arrows now have their first etched into the Major League Rugby history books. A late try from Dan Moor gave the expansion side a 23-19 win over Austin Elite at Dell Diamond in a game largely fought in the trenches as the sleet fell from the sky.

The Arrows scrum sent a message at the first opportunity but it was Austin who won an early penalty at the breakdown. It was well within Tim Guillimin’s range but the flyhalf’s shaky form against Utah continued and the opportunity for points went begging.

Instead it was the visitors who took the first points. Soheyl Jaoudat was shown yellow for team infringements in only the 10th minute and the Arrows took advantage of the space. Spencer Jones bumped off Sione Fangaiuiha and calmly put Avery Oitomen into the corner for the youngster’s second MLR try in as many games.

Guillimin made good on his second attempt but missed his third after Sam Malcolm was binned for an offside in scoring position. Another yellow was brandished to the Arrows with Rob Brouwer admonished for a high tackle. With only 13 men on the pitch Toronto forced a knock-on in the tackle and then their scrum went to with with Tom Dolezel offering no respite to the Elite front row.

Austin got some much-needed inspiration just before the break as Chilean scrumhalf Marcelo Torrealba found a gap on the post and sprinted 45 meters untouched into the corner. Mason Pedersen was carted off with an injury, replaced by Brendan Rams, before Guillimin could add the conversion and make the score at halftime 10-8 to the home side.

Toronto looked to have won another scrum penalty early int he second half but Morgan Mitchell was deemed to have won the contest illegally. Guillimin took the three points to extend the gap to five. He would not find the sticks on a long-range attempt soon after.

Instead it was the Arrows who would strike next. Malcolm kicked to the corner and after the drive was help up, Kolby Francis would finish the job as instead the scrum walked him over the line. The conversion restored the lead for Toronto but the job wasn’t done yet.

Guillimin and Malcolm exchanged penalties before Austin coach Alain Hyardet made a tactical decision, subbing both of his halfbacks just after the hydration break. Replacement scrumhalf Mickaël Romera would have the next shot at goal and he chipped it over to give the Elite a one-point lead, while at the other end of the pitch Malcolm’s kick from beyond 40 meters drifted just wide.

The winning score looked imminent for Austin but somehow Toronto turned the ball over deep in their own end. Spencer Jones heaved the ball back into the Elite’s 22 and Jaoudat’s attempt to clear was charged down by Moor. Toronto’s captain was quickest to react, pouncing on the loose ball in-goal for a try that silenced the Austin faithful.

From the restart the clock was against Austin and penalties put them back in Toronto’s end. Again they looked set to score but the Arrows defense held firm and won another turnover, and with the clock in stoppage time the Elite’s luck had run out.

SCORING

AUSTIN 19
Tries – M. Torrealba (39’)
Cons – T. Guillimin 1/1 (40’)
Pens – T. Guillimin 3/6 (21’, 47’, 58’), M. Romera 1/1 (65’)
Yellow cards – S. Jaoudat (10’)

TORONTO 23
Tries – A. Oitomen (17’), K. Francis (52’), D. Moor (74’)
Cons – S. Malcolm 1/3 (53’)
Pens – S. Malcolm 2/3 (43’, 55’)
Yellow cards – S. Malcolm (23’), R. Brouwer (31’)

TEAMS

AUSTIN ELITE
1 Simon Courcoul (17 LaRome White 53’), 2 Tiaan Erasmus, 3 Mason Pedersen (16 Brendan Rams 39’), 4 Ben Mitchell (capt.), 5 Rikus Zwart, 6 Kyle Breytenbach, 7 Dom Bailey (18 Dylan Pieterse 53’), 8 Travis Larsen, 9 Marcelo Torrealba (20 Mickaël Romera 63’), 10 Timothée Guillimin (22 Andrew Suniula 63’), 11 Soheyl Jaoudat, 12 Sione Fangaiuiha, 13 Zinzan Elan-Puttick, 14 Reece Czarnecki, 15 Rodrigo Silva

Not used: 19 Craig Welborn, 21 Alex Faison-Donahoe, 23 Chris Schade

TORONTO ARROWS
1 Rob Brouwer (18 Tom Dolezel 66’), 2 Andrew Quattrin (16 Steven Ng 66’), 3 Morgan Mitchell, 4 Josh van Horne (19 Tom van Horne 61’), 5 Paul Ciulini, 6 Peter Milazzo, 7 Marcello Wainwright (18 Tom Dolezel 31’-41’), 8 Kolby Francis, 9 Andrew Ferguson (21 Riley DiNardo 66’), 10 Sam Malcolm, 11 Johnny Sheridan (22 Mitch Richardson 61’), 12 Spencer Jones, 13 Dan Moor (capt.), 14 Avery Oitomen (23 Jack Evans 69’), 15 Shawn Windsor

Not used: 17 Pat Lynott, 20 Mike Smith